Beat Sugar Cravings Using These Six Tips

Sugar is one of the most addictive ingredients in food.
It makes food and drinks taste better and
keeps our cravings satisfied. Sugar also contains glucose, a substance that
helps the brain to function better and gives us more energy.

However, we all know the harmful
effects of too much sugar. Even if you try to cut out foods that have a high
sugar content, chances are there is still sugar in most of the foods we eat.

Sugar is popular amongst those who like sweet tasting food and beverage and
children. If we don’t limit ourselves and control our addictions, sugar can
lead to multiple health complications such as
high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

That’s why it’s important to read
the nutritional labelling on packaged
food and drink. Luckily there are ways to beat sugar cravings and keeping them
in check.

Here are six daily
tips on how to manage and control your sugar cravings and reduce intake:

By making
sure all your bodies macronutrients needs are in check, addictions to sugar or
other food cravings can be overcome.

Try to stick to whole organic foods. Meet your protein,
carbohydrate and fat needs. Good quality carbs and fats such as nuts, fish,
seeds and vegetables will also help your blood sugar from crashing.

Get Quality Rest

By having
enough rest during the day, between daily activities and enough shut-eye in the
night, your body doesn’t need the extra energy it usually gets from sugar or
caffeine. By being well rested, your body will have the power it needs for the day and will lessen the demand for sugar.

Do Not Skip Meals

By skipping
meals, you may think you’re cutting down
your calories and sugar intake. However,
what you’re doing is taking away the nutrients your body needs for energy.

Moreover, by
developing hunger and starvation, you’re only building up the temptation. This increases sugar addiction, not curbing it.

Try to eat three main meals a day and snack in between. Just make sure the
food and drink you consume are healthy and low in sugar.

Get More Minerals In Your Diet

By eating
foods that are dense with minerals such as magnesium and zinc, this will
improve your blood cells sensitivity to insulin. This will help your body to metabolise
and burn sugar at a faster rate.

Foods such as broccoli, seeds,
nuts, and fruits can support this
process. A deficiency in these minerals can lead to more cravings.

Stick To Fresh And Not Processed

Processed
foods have lots of additives such as sugar, saturated fats, and extra fillers.
Not only does this run the risk of weight gain, but it can lead to addiction as you don’t always know what’s going in your
body when you eat processed foods.

By sticking to organic and fresh
choices, you won’t be consuming harmful chemicals and additives that are usually found in processed foods.

Also, if there
is sugar in fresh foods such as fruit and
vegetables, they are natural sugars that the body metabolises more easily compared to refined sugar.

Manage Your Stress

With all addictions, comes great inner conflict. Though your mind and
logic tell you one thing, your cravings will tell
you another.

It’s important to watch your stress
levels and try to keep calm. By being more focused, you can think more
logically and battle your cravings and urges better.

Try to get more rest, take some
alone time to spend on leisure. Drinking tea and consistent exercise are also
known to bring down stress levels. When you stress less, you’ll have a better
grip on combating any addictions you may have in life, and it’s the same case
with sugar and diet.

Keep in
mind that even with all these tips, you require discipline. Like with all
addictions, by being strict on yourself
is the only way to adopt new habits and curb bad
ones successfully.

These tips may be simple in theory,
however executing them is a whole different matter. If you’re unsure how to go
about making these changes in your diet, it’s always a good idea to speak with
your dietician or medical practitioner.

Head over to the Okadoc app to immediately book an appointment with your health practitioner.